Serengeti Hot Air Balloon with Serengeti Balloon Safaris

Waking up after our first night sleeping in a tent in the Serengeti, Greg asked me what animal sounds I heard last night. I didn’t hear anything - I was too busy trying to sleep - and not thinking about what could kill me. “Maybe a lion, definitely a zebra,” he answered his question.

It was surprisingly easy to wake up at 3:15am today.

For as long as I’ve thought about hot air balloons, my dream has always been to do it in Africa.

And we were very excited to be going on a balloon ride! We had a 4:20am pickup time. The balloon company touted the long 1 hour 20 minute drive to the launch site in the pitch dark as a game drive.

But the top wasn’t open and they told us to use seatbelts.

The driver sped along, focused on staying on schedule. He kept apologizing for the bumpiness, as if we miraculously had gotten to our camp the day before without driving the same ridiculously bumpy roads.

I was trying to figure out how our driver knew his way out here without streetlights, street signs, or landmarks.

On our “night safari”, we managed to see two hyenas. Even though we’ve heard all about them, we actually hadn’t seen them up until now. They’re not as easy to see as you would expect.

Upon arriving at the launch site, we were sent to gather around our deflated balloon, lying flat on the ground. I heard a female voice from one of the outlined figures nearby speaking to our group in perfect English. She was our pilot, Elly, from Australia. For her, the flight is all about our safety. Going over the safety guidelines, she explained we would be harnessed into the “car”. Unlike most balloon flights, “out here in the bush we take off from our side.” I wouldn’t know how a hot air balloon takes off, so I took her word for it. She told us how to get in, what take off would be like, and how we would land. She was excited to add, “It’s going to be spectacular today. Visibility is getting much better after all the fires from the controlled burns.”

Before taking off, we had some time to have a hot drink and use the “loo with a view” - a cassette toilet surrounded by three-sides and no door. 

From the "loo with a view", you’re looking straight out into nature as you sit.

We climbed into our assigned spots in the basket and assumed our take-off positions. Then we slowly and ever so gently lifted off the ground.

Floating in a balloon is so incredibly peaceful. Time stood still. 

I was trying to look everywhere at once. I didn't want to miss anything: the beautiful sunrise, the horizon, and the animals.

Flying in a hot air balloon over Africa wasn’t quite what I imagined yet it was so much more.

It was so smooth as we hovered over the land.

What surprised me the most was how close to the ground that we flew. I always assume hot air balloons fly high.

We really had the best vantage point for spotting animals - if only we could safari like this. But I had expected to see a lot more wildlife running around. It wasn’t like that at all.

We flew along the river so spotting hippos was inevitable. First we smelled them. They smell horribly bad.

Though sold as a 1-hour flight, the actual time spent in the air depends all on finding a safe place to land. Elly said it could be 45 minutes or more than an hour.

Our perfect flight conditions, with low winds, allowed us to stay in the air for 70 minutes.

As we were tucked into the basket for the landing, no longer able to see our surroundings, Elly gave us a play-by-play of what was happening. “It’s going to be two bumps.”

Bump, bump.

“One more bump.”

Bump.

“And, we’re tipping over.”

We took off and landed on our side

“Good job, thank you very much,” Greg said to Elly with sincerity and relief. A hot air balloon ride was never on his bucket list. He was very happy to survive!

Next we followed post-balloon flight tradition by popping open two bottles of champagne.

Elly told us the fascinating story behind the tradition. Drinking champagne after a successful flight dates back to the very first flight in 1783. The French people didn’t know what was attacking them from the sky so they attacked back. King Louis suggested: when you land, give them champagne and they will understand.

From the landing site, they drove us a few minutes to where an open-air breakfast was being cooked up for us.

Greg chose the Full English Breakfast and I picked the Avocado Special

It was one of those mornings you wish could last forever.

Next, Edward picked us up at the meeting point to take us out for the rest of the day.

When we come up to jeeps stopped on the side of the road, we never know what we’re about to see. When I told Edward there were jeeps ahead, he said there are giraffes. I was a little doubtful that so many jeeps would be interested in some giraffes for the 100th time. Off to my side, I spotted lions.

And they were walking. So far we had only seen them sleeping!

Then I saw the cubs! Edward said that a cub sighting was unusually special because lion cubs are normally kept hidden!

“They’re so cute,” I said. Greg didn’t even hesitate, “Nope, you can’t have one.” Then, “That’s definitely the sound I heard last night.”

Four lionesses with seven young cubs were walking down the road.

Edward taught us: a pride decides as a whole when to mate - all the females have babies at the same time. All moms care for all cubs; it is a communal nursery.

After watching them walk for a couple miles (he said they were walking to water), we left them - only to discover more stopped jeeps.

Now what?

These jeeps weren’t budging and they weren’t sharing space.

They were watching a lioness guard her kill. She had a zebra. Edward said that the pride of lions we just left were on their way to eat the prize!

Noticeable blood on her mouth from the catch

She dragged the zebra behind a bush, unfortunately out of our view

The crunching sounds from their aggressive eating were so loud

We didn’t go far before I could see more jeeps gathered around a tree. “I see a lion in the tree,” said Edward. He has eagle eyes.

It was fascinating to watch lions climb a tree. They aren't as graceful getting back down.

She locked eyes with us

As a treat, Edward found us our own male lion - that we didn't have to share with any other jeeps.

It’s unbelievably brazen how male lions sleep in the Serengeti - out in the open completely unafraid, without a care in the world. It is good to be king!

We arrive at our camp for the second evening. It’s still daylight so we can actually see our surroundings. It is a brand new luxury camp that just opened in January and is only for Wakanda tours.

"And they’re tent thingees? Eh, thanks,” Greg said, not impressed with the classic way to experience the Serengeti

Inside, they are like Harry Potter tents. We have a king bed, sitting area, and large, quite nice bathroom with double sinks, a changing area, an inside and outside shower, and a bathtub.

Tonight Greg wants to set up a game camera to see what comes to visit us.

Logistics:

• I’m impressed our tour company has booked us onto the number one balloon company: Serengeti Balloon Safaris. They have an excellent safety record and our experience from beginning to end was top notch.
• The balloon ride cost $530 per person. While we were checking in at the balloon booth the day before, a lady was quoted $570.
• A few pictures were included in the price of the balloon flight: a couple personalized ones, a few group ones, and a dozen stock photos.
• The balloon holds 16 people plus the pilot. Elly let us stay together as a couple but other than that she chooses the compartment we are in. Not that it was bad, but our location next to her in the back was the least desirable spot. The front, facing the camera, and outside corners are the best places. While technically there isn’t a true front to a balloon, the camera side flew facing forward more than we did.
• The hot air balloon ride is ironically the source of my biggest disappointment in our tour company: Serengeti Wakanda Tours and Safaris. I booked our trip to Africa with two non-negotiables - to go on safari and a hot air balloon ride. I made our reservations 10 months in advance. However, the company’s new agent lacks organization. She never bothered to tell our guide about the hot air balloon booking. It wasn’t until a few days into our tour that he found out, when I asked him which morning it would be. While our ride went off without a hitch (in the end they made it happen) there were some questionable moments. Of course the balloon company was already fully booked. I’m not sure if it was a mistake or out of desperation that they booked us onto a ride launching from the western side; we were staying in the central part of the Serengeti, a 2 hour drive away. (The balloon company was able to move us onto a central flight.)